The Accusative
Акузатив — Say what you want — and where you are going.
The direct-object case
What you want, see, drink, or buy stands in the accusative. Feminine nouns in -а change to -у: кафа → кафу, вода → воду, књига → књигу.
Желим кафу.
I want a coffee.
Masculine: alive or not?
Masculine things stay unchanged: имам стан, читам роман. Masculine people and animals take -а: видим Марка, имам пса. Neuter nouns stay unchanged: пијем млеко.
Видим Марка, али не видим ауто.
I see Marko, but I don't see the car.
A destination takes the accusative
Motion toward a destination uses у or на + accusative: идем у град, у школу, на посао. Later you will contrast this with the locative for being there.
Идем у град.
I'm going into town.
У or на?
Use у for enclosed places such as школа and продавница. Use на for work, events, open spaces, and familiar expressions: на посао, на концерт, на пијацу, на кафу.
Идемо на кафу!
Let's go for a coffee!
Ask кога? or шта?
«Кога?» asks whom, for people and animals. «Шта?» asks what, for things: Кога видиш? Шта желиш?
Шта желиш? — Кафу.
What do you want? — A coffee.
Put It Together
Keep the lesson goal in view: Say what you want — and where you are going. Revisit the examples, then test yourself in practice.